diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 5199a6ba82..2064e3b99c 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -18,8 +18,9 @@
     "postinstall": "patch-package",
     "prepare": "husky install",
     "-- DEV BUILD SCRIPTS": "-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------",
+    "clean": "rm -rf build api/build",
     "build-ddocs": "mkdir -p build/ddocs && cp -r ddocs/* build/ddocs/ && node scripts/build/cli setDdocsVersion && node scripts/build/cli setBuildInfo && node ./scripts/build/ddoc-compile.js primary && mkdir -p api/build/ddocs && cp build/ddocs/*.json api/build/ddocs/",
-    "build-dev": "./scripts/build/build-prepare.sh && npm run --prefix shared-libs/cht-datasource build && npm run build-webapp-dev && ./scripts/build/copy-static-files.sh",
+    "build-dev": "npm run clean && ./scripts/build/build-prepare.sh && npm run --prefix shared-libs/cht-datasource build && npm run build-webapp-dev && ./scripts/build/copy-static-files.sh",
     "build-dev-watch": "npm run build-dev && (npm run --prefix shared-libs/cht-datasource build-watch & npm run --prefix webapp build-watch & node ./scripts/build/watch.js)",
     "build-documentation": "./scripts/build/build-documentation.sh",
     "build-webapp-dev": "cd webapp && npm run build -- --configuration=development && npm run compile",
diff --git a/scripts/build/build-prepare.sh b/scripts/build/build-prepare.sh
index 65db17b3fb..f3b80ae113 100755
--- a/scripts/build/build-prepare.sh
+++ b/scripts/build/build-prepare.sh
@@ -2,10 +2,6 @@
 
 set -e
 
-echo "build-prepare: cleaning build directory"
-rm -rf build
-mkdir build
-
 node scripts/build/cli npmCiModules
 
 echo "build-prepare: building ddocs"